Sir F. HALLasked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what were the numbers of persons killed or injured by the action of enemy aircraft in this country during the Great War; what was the number of aircraft available for home defence at the time of the Armistice; what is the number now available; and what proportion of these were designed and constructed subsequent to 1919?
§ Mr. LEACHThe answer to the first part of the question is, 1,413 killed and 3,407 injured. The first line strength of the squadrons allotted to home defence at the time of the Armistice was 348 aeroplanes; the corresponding figure at the present time is 76 aeroplanes. The machines at present in use are drawn almost entirely from the very extensive stocks which had been accumulated at the date of the Armistice and which have since been largely re-conditioned. Considerable orders for machines of new design have, however, recently been placed.